We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Diana Escamilla aka DXE a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Diana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

Oh wow, I can’t quite remember the first time I sold a piece but I do remember a time that I sold two pieces and how that moment changed my life. I remember it was the last day of the month, I had no money and rent was due the next day. I had been doing local events all month with no luck in sales, I was feeling desperate and thought this was my last chance. So, I went out that day, with my small set up and my latest pieces to show the world what I could do, in hopes of making a single sale. Anything to prove that I wasn’t wasting my time chasing a crazy dream. The event was extremely fun and I was sharing the day with other local artist. We were all set up in the parking lot of a local restaurant/ bar in Wilton Manors when two young men came up to my table and fell in love with the two pieces I had created that month. They both stared for a while and then asked me how much they were. I thought for sure that once they herd my prices they would walk away but to my surprise they said “we will take them both”. I was so shocked that I looked at both of them and asked, are you sure? They smiled, said yes and handed me their credit card. Not only had I made a sale but I made just enough to pay my rent the next day. I was beyond grateful that after completing the transaction I ran to the back and just started crying, thanking the universe for showing me that I was on the right path.

Diana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Diana Xiomara Escamilla aka, DXE and I am the artist/owner of DXE Studios LLC, where I create and sell my original art work. Making art has been something that I’ve been doing for as long as I can remember. I think I learned how to draw before I even learned how to write, but it wasn’t till about ten years ago when I decided to turn what everyone called a “hobby” into my career and turned my passion into my business. In hopes that not only would I be able to share my art with the world but to also inspire others to do what they love, something I like to call the “Artist Kinda Life” I paint from my heart and express everything I am feeling through my art, so when others see my work and they can relate or they feel inspired, that’s when I feel the proudest.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Well recently I did take a huge step towards accomplishing one of my goals and that was taking my art out of my living room and into actual studio space. I did this not only to grow my business but also to help with my mental health. I know that I’ve spoken about my mental wellness before and how it has affected my art. Recently however, I was noticing that I was running out of room to work and this was starting to stress me out because I was unable to separate work from home. Constantly thinking about work and not feeling like I could relax at home was taking a toll on me so I had to take the next step. Having a separate place to work has made a huge difference and now I feel like I’m able to concentrate more when I am working and able to relax when I go home. Making me feel much happier.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Seeing people’s reactions is by far the most rewarding part. Specially when they tell me how much a piece either inspired them or when they tell me how one of my pieces helped them get through a rough time because they could relate to what I was saying in my art. For me that’s what it’s all about.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: dxestudios
• Facebook: dxestudios
• Linkedin: dxestudios
• Twitter: dxestudios
• Other: Etsy shop link: dxestudios.etsy.com